Interchangeable conjugable element assembly for making up furnishing fittings

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an assembly of composable elements for making up, at will, furnishing fittings, as stem ash-trays, standing on the ground, vase-holders, lamp-holders, newspaperholders. This assembly comprises as essential parts a top object holder, a base on the ground, one or more connecting stems between them, these parts being connected to each other by means of interchangeable joints. The aim of this assembly is to permit a large variety of embodiments with a limited number of pieces.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,863,874 Pirovano Feb. 4, 1975 [5 INTERCHANGEABLE CONJUGABLE 1,653,897 12/1927 Farr 1. 248/158 ELEMENT ASSEMBLY FOR MAKING UP Ew CSS FURNISHING FITTINGS 1,933,673 11/1933 Krajnc 248/121 [76] Inventor: Adele Pirovano, Via Zara 3, Nova 1,955,919 4/1934 Kress 248/159 Milanese, Italy 2,114,027 4/1938 McDonald 248/159 2,521,355 9/1950 Ford 248/165 [22] Filed: Feb. 20, 1973 2 APPL 333 512 Primary Examiner-Marion Parsons, Jr.

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Fleit & Jacobson [30] F bF209lIlg9l;2Ap[I)llIl:all0n Priority Data 2119M [57] ABSTRACT e my The invention relates to an assembly of composable [52] U S Cl 248/150 248/159 elements for making up, at will, furnishing fittings, as 51] Int CL: X2liii9/00,F16m 11/22 stem ash-rays, Standing on gmmdv [58] Field of Search 248/150, 48, 165, 121, lampiholders newspaperfholders 248/158, 159; 232/432; 131/240 R 241, 242 Thls assembly comprlses as essential parts a top ob ect holder, a base on the ground, one or more [56] References Cited connecting stems between them, these parts being connected to each other by means of interchangeable UNITED STATES PATENTS joints. 905,627 12/1908 Astruck 248/150 The aim of this assembly is to permit a large variety gz i y 1 52 of embodiments with a limited number of pieces. 1:559:234 10/1925 F1eming.... 232/432 10 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures PATENTEU SHEET 2 BF 2 INTERCIIANGEABLE CONJUGABLE ELEMENT ASSEMBLY FOR MAKING UP FURNISHING FITTINGS This invention relates to an assembly of elements having unities of mechanical and functional features for being variously interchangeably interconjugated to particularly provide ash-trays of several shapes and height, and other compositions for other purposes or different uses, but like structure.

It is the object of the invention to provide a series of elements of a composable character capable of optimum solutions in solving such problems as use efficiency, transport convenience and saving in manufacturing cost. Particularly, the decomposition will allow for reducing the package volume and overall size and, as a result, the package and conveyance costs.

Finally, the present invention provides for highly significant technical and practical solutions with the least of difficulties, very low cost and without impairing the aesthetical appearance.

The major elements in the assembly are particularly adapted for composing ash-trays, paper-holders, flower-vases, dust-bins and lamp-holders and, also in this specific use, such elements are interchangeable and overturnable, so as to obtain different shapes and generally different performances.

In the assembly the major elements are: a top container or bearing plane, at least one supporting web or stem, a hollow floor-bearing base and a series of interchangeable butt straps or joint fishings. Practically, the top element may be, for example, an open cup capable of accomodating a known cup receptable, such as an ash-tray, or a push-button panel or a table plane or face as an object-stand, a V-shaped dihedral as a paperor newspaper-holder, or a waste-holder backet; the supporting web or stem may be a hollow column comprising a single or a plurality of sections not necessarily of the same length, which are directly conjugable or by the interposition of sleeve members; a lower floorbearing bell member which could be also directly connected with the top cup in order to provide a minimum overall size in height; this lower bell member being adapted to have applied thereto from below and by snap-connection a flat cup having a very wide torical periphery for ballast containing in order to increase stability, particularly where a long stem or web is involved, enabling the ash-tray or other utility object to resume its vertical attitude when being bumped against. All of these elements can be indifferently interconjugated such as by screwing, or by partial pressure or snap threading, or by bayonet connection, or according to any other system capable of ensuring a stable junction thereof. The joints will be preferably all the same in order to facilitate all of the possible composition that can be obtained and which will be left to the free choice and fancy of a tradesman who sells them as ready to use; but could be also prepared and made up by the private individual desiring to satisfy his whims by purchasing the several pieces.

In the following detailed disclosure reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is an exploded and half sectional view showing an assembly of the major elements comprising a floor type of ash-tray;

FIG. 2 shows an ash-tray basin for use on the upward overturned flared bell member;

FIG. 3 shows a variation for a ballast base cup;

FIG. 4 shows a joint;

FIG. 5 shows the bottom for the top cup opened on its maximum diameter when used as bottom base;

FIG. 6 shows a thin plane which may be effective as a supporting or play table (FIG. 13), or as a bracket (FIG. 19);

FIG. 7 shows a shaped plane having a V-shaped extension for use as a paper-holder;

FIG. 8 shows the ashtray of FIG. I wherein the parts thereof have been assembled; and

FIGS. 9 to 21 show some compositions varying as to the combination of the pieces and for different purposes, but still comprising those parts and elements as shown in the preceding figures.

In FIG. 1, which is an exploded view showing the parts forming an ash-tray, the major parts are used as comprising the piece assembly according to the invention. Such parts are as follows: the cup 22; a stem or web section 23; the flared ase 24; and the ballast holding cup 25. There are also to be added: a conventional ash-tray26 to be inserted in the top aperture ofthe cup 22 with its removable collecting small cup 26 made of a nonflammable material; possible annular but straps or joint fishings 27; a disc 28 acting as a cover for the cup 25; a cup 30 (FIG. 3) of a lower capacity, but larger ground bearing surface; a basin 29 (FIG. 2) having a peripheral lip of a nonflammable material acting as an ash-tray to bear on the cup 22'; a joint 31 (FIG. 4) to join the several parts; a bottom 32 (FIG. 5), or a plane or disc 33 (FIG. 6) for application to the top cup 22, or to the bottom bell member 24, both at the upstanding position thereof as shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 9, 10, ll, l5, l6, l9, and in the overturned composition as shown in the examples of FIGS. 12, 18, 20, 21. Thereby, it will be seen that both the cup 22' and the bell member 24 can operate either upright or overturned. An object-stand plane 33 (FIG. 6), with or without a central aperture, can be mounted by clamping it for example between two fastening ring nuts 23 (FIG. 20) and operate as an object-stand (FIG. 19 or FIG. 20), or can be superimposed to the cup 22' or 24 by suitable anchoring means provided on the underside, and serving the function as a small object-stand table as in FIG. 13; a rigid plane 34 having V-shaped side extensions operating as a paper-holder on one or both sides can be mounted, as shown in FIG. 20.

In turn, the cup 22 is divided into two parts on its major diameter, thereby resulting: the upper ring 22" and the cup 22', which can be used with or without said ring, as from the progress of the description; the web or stem section 23 can be obtained with other identical sections or having a different height, with or without the butt straps or joint fishings 27 which may be allowed to aesthetical tasks; the joint 31 can replace the section 23; the bell member or flared base 24 can be a direct bearing on the floor, in which case it has on the inner periphery means for retaining the disc 28 (FIG. 1) coupled with the projecting top edge of the ballast holding cup 25; should this base bell member be overturned and carried at the top, it would be coupled to the basin 29 (FIG. 2) operating as an ash-tray; the ballast holding cup 25 bearing on the floor is provided with a flat contact surface which is connected a torical curve of a large radius acting as a guide, so that in the event of shocks or resulting angular displacement of the ash-tray axis, this is immediately drawn back owing material, or a collapsed bag which the user will fill up and then close with a plug, or the cavities can be tightly interconnected so as to prevent water from issuing therefrom.

The cup 22 may be used as a pot-holder (FIG. where it is of a water proof type, it may be used as a flower-vase (FIG. 11); it may combined directly with an identical or with an opposing one to provide an ashtray (FIGS. 12 and 19), or to provide a flower-vase (FIGS. 11 and 17); or to place an electric lamp internally thereof (FIG. 21).

In FIGS. 9, 14, 15, 16, 19 and 20 there are shown examples of compositions having different heights and this by way of not limiting illustration, it being evidently obvious that other combinations could be readily provided for. It is envisaged that the top cup and the top flared bell member can be interchanged and used'at overturned condition, without departing for this from the inventive field. The supporting stem or web might be even omitted (FIGS. 9-13).

It should be also noted that any suitable material can be selected for forming the several elements, even if preferably the plastic material is considered as optimum material, also enabling a variety in colours, this being also a reason that can be taken into account when selecting the composition of the several articles. Furthermore, patterns other than those shown can be adopted, this without departing from the invention field. For example, the tubular stem or web could be of a diameter approximately the same as that of the top cup or of the bottom bell member, or could form a column.

What I claim is:

l. A knockdown set of conjugable interchangeable elements for combining in numerous ways to make up furnishing fittings, such as ash-trays, pot-holders, lampholders, flower-vases, paper-holders and waste-holders, the set of elements being of such a nature as to take a first orientation or to be inverted in the finished furnishing fitting so as to obtain different shapes, and comprising: an open cup of external convex shape for serving as the top or, when inverted, the bottom of the completed furnishing fitting; at least one tubular supporting section for connection with other sections of a same or different length; a flared bell base of external concave shape for use as a floor bearing or, when inverted, for

use as the top of the complete furnishing fitting; a flat ballast cup having a torical periphery for containing ballast material and coupling with the open edge of said flared bell base; a flat basin of a wide base and a lesser height than said ballast cup for coupling with the open edge of said flared bell base; a flat ash-tray having a peripheral lip applicable to the open edge of the flared bell base when the latter is in an attitude with its open edge upward; a cover adapted to be secured to the top open edge of said open cup when serving as the top. or bottom adapted to be secured to the bottom open edge of said cup when serving as the bottom; a thin planar plate adapted to be horizontally connected in the furnishing fitting as an article-stand; a shaped plane provided at least on one side with a V-shaped extension for use as a paper-holder; a series of connection fittings for removably interconnecting said elements together to define said furnishing fittings, said connection fittings being operative in a first sense and in an inverted sense.

2. A set of elements as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said open cup is ovoidal and suitable, when oriented with its open edge upward, to accommodate elements such as a small cup, push-button panel or ash-tray, or a pot or arrangement of flowers, or an electric lamp.

3. A set of elements as claimed in claim 1, wherein the open cup and the flared bell base are adapted to be directly interconnected.

4. A set of elements as claimed in claim I, wherein the ballast cup is adapted to be connected with the edge of a water proof flared bell member, so that the hollow thus formed may be filled up with liquid ballast by the user.

5. A set of elements as claimed in claim 4, wherein the water proof hollow is adapted to accommodate a receptable or a closed bag of plastic material to be filled up with water by the user.

6. A set of elements as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connection fittings are screw-type fittings.

7. A set of elements as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elements are of plastic material.

8. A set of elements as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connection fittings include rings which encircle the joints betwen respective tubular supporting sections.

at least one of said tubular supporting sections. 

1. A knockdown set of conjugable interchangeable elements for combining in numerous ways to make up furnishing fittings, such as ash-trays, pot-holders, lamp-holders, flower-vases, paperholders and waste-holders, the set of elements being of such a nature as to take a first orientation or to be inverted in the finished furnishing fitting so as to obtain different shapes, and comprising: an open cup of external convex shape for serving as the top or, when inverted, the bottom of the completed furnishing fitting; at least one tubular supporting section for connection with other sections of a same or different length; a flared bell base of external concave shape for use as a floor bearing or, when inverted, for use as the top of the complete furnishing fitting; a flat ballast cup having a torical periphery for containing ballast material and coupling with the open edge of said flared bell base; a flat basin of a wide base and a lesser height than said ballast cup for coupling with the open edge of said flared bell base; a flat ash-tray having a peripheral lip applicable to the open edge of the flared bell base when the latter is in an attitude with its open edge upward; a cover adapted to be secured to the top open edge of said open cup when serving as the top, or bottom adapted to be secured to the bottom open edge of said cup when serving as the bottom; a thin planar plate adapted to be horizontally connected in the furnishing fitting as an article-stand; a shaped plane provided at least on one side with a V-shaped extension for use as a paper-holder; a series of connection fittings for removably interconnecting said elements together to define said furnishing fittings, said connection fittings being operative in a first sense and in an inverted sense.
 2. A set of elements as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said open cup is ovoidal and suiTable, when oriented with its open edge upward, to accomodate elements such as a small cup, push-button panel or ash-tray, or a pot or arrangement of flowers, or an electric lamp.
 3. A set of elements as claimed in claim 1, wherein the open cup and the flared bell base are adapted to be directly interconnected.
 4. A set of elements as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ballast cup is adapted to be connected with the edge of a water proof flared bell member, so that the hollow thus formed may be filled up with liquid ballast by the user.
 5. A set of elements as claimed in claim 4, wherein the water proof hollow is adapted to accommodate a receptable or a closed bag of plastic material to be filled up with water by the user.
 6. A set of elements as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connection fittings are screw-type fittings.
 7. A set of elements as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elements are of plastic material.
 8. A set of elements as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connection fittings include rings which encircle the joints betwen respective tubular supporting sections.
 9. A set of elements as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said open cup or said flared bell base has its open edge facing upwardly, and wherein said upwardly facing edge associates with an ash-tray.
 10. A set of elements as claimed in claim 9, wherein said open cup or said flared bell base is supported by at least one of said tubular supporting sections. 